we once were as one
by Rapis-Razuri
Summary: "I never wanted you to die for me." Takumi and Oboro, after the end. [Conquest. Takumi/Oboro]


****Title**** : we once were as one  
 ** **Author**** : Rapis-Razuri  
 ** **Beta**** : N/A  
 ** **Word Count**** : 1411  
 ** **Game**** : _Fates – Conquest_ _ _  
__ ** **Characters/Pairing**** : Takumi/Oboro, others mentioned.

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Everything is silence.

Takumi walks without purpose, one step after another. _What happens now?_ He had thought he would finally be at peace once _that thing_ was destroyed. That's why he forced himself to play nice, why he handed the Fujin Yumi over to _that person_. After so much hurt and resentment, he just wanted to _rest_.

Instead, once the hurt and resentment that drove him are gone, they leave behind only regret. He regrets not accepting Corrin's betrayal earlier, regrets things turned out the way they did, yes, but Corrin is only one person.

 _Sakura..._ She is the biggest. He thought she died when Fort Jinya was taken, been terrified for her when he found out she was being held prisoner, and promptly forgot that he even had a little sister to rescue when he lost himself. The fact that she hadn't been with Mother and Ryoma is the only thing that brings him comfort, but he still regrets the fact that he hadn't been able to save her. She is the only one in his family who looked up to and admired him, inadequacies and all, and he let her down.

There were his men too. Maybe they were only following him because Ryoma had ordered it, but they had been under _his_ command, been _his_ responsibility, looked to _him_ for leadership and he failed them. He wonders how many of them still had families somewhere and if those families were cursing him for taking their parents, children or siblings away.

If they were, he didn't blame them. He imagines facing them, thinks about what he could say to defend himself. Nohr was coming, what was he supposed to have done if not order them to fight? Surrender and serve their enemies tea and cakes? Wouldn't want those filthy barbarians to feel like they weren't being shown proper hospitality while they pillaged his home after all.

Takumi snorts and continues walking, walking, _walking_. He wonders when it ends, when he could just stop. He wants to give up right now and lie down in the grass and stare at the clouds in that blue sky above. Maybe he'll close his eyes and never wake up, but he thinks that idea doesn't sound half bad...

It's tempting, but he can't bring himself to because he feels as though there is something driving him onwards. He has no reason to not follow his instincts and humoring it gave his wandering a sense of meaning, like there is a goal waiting for him at the end. He just doesn't know what.

Besides, it's not like he needs to stop and rest. He doesn't feel hungry or thirsty and the only part of him that feels tired is his mind.

Finally, at long last, he sees a figure in the distance. Even with his eyesight, he has to squint as he tries to see who it is. It becomes clearer as he approaches, recognizes her before he notices that his walk has ended. "...Oboro?"

She looks exactly as she did the last time he saw her. No blood on her clothing, no dirt on her face. It makes him think about how she hated getting blood on her clothes and how after every battle, she would gather up not only her soiled clothing, but his and Hinata's as well, and wash out every bit of stain and grime and repair any damage before she slept. When being told that she didn't have to do such menial labor on their behalf, she insisted that a prince like Takumi shouldn't be walking around in dirty clothes and claimed that she didn't trust Hinata's sense of hygiene to let him take care of his own. Somewhere down the line, both boys had realized it was simply how she coped.

There hadn't been a lack of blood during Takumi's last battles, but when Oboro turns around, he is relieved that she would at least be spared the sight of what happened after the Great Wall fell. His broken neck, the Shadow Yato between his ribs.

She doesn't look surprised, just apprehensive as she approaches. She comes to a halt before him, looking up into his eyes. Her hand raises, as though she wanted to reach out and touch his face.

He wants her too.

"Lord Takumi?" she breathes, "Is that really you?"

 _It is_ , he wants to tell her, but he looks away in shame. "Don't call me that," he says, "Lord Takumi ordered you to fight those Nohrians. He ordered you to die. He doesn't deserve you..." His breath hitches and his vision becomes blurry. "I sorry..." He sinks to his knees, suddenly unable to continue standing.

" _I'm so sorry_ ," he cries. His entire body is trembling and he can't stop it. "I never wanted you to die for me..."

And just like that, she is kneeling with him, her arms around him pulling him to her. He gasps between sobs, trying to remember the last time someone had held him in their arms so closely, but then decides that it doesn't matter.

"I'm sorry too," she says, her voice muffled. "I wanted to protect you until the end. I failed."

"B-but you did," he replies, reaching up to return her embrace. She still smells the same too. "I... _Thank you_. It was more than I ever deserved..."

"I swore that I would live and die at your word, remember?" Oboro says. He frowns. Yes, he remembers. "But it doesn't matter. I would have died for you even if you weren't my lord."

 _I wish you wouldn't_ , Takumi thinks, but he says, "I wish you lived and reopened your parents' shop instead. I wanted to help you with that. During those last days, sometimes I'd think about it... How I could maybe talk to people and ask them to commission you for their clothing when the war was over... I-I know I'm terrible at that, talking to people, that is, but I think I could've done it if I was doing it for you..."

He hears another sob into his chest. Takumi hugs her tighter and keeps talking.

"...You still love things like that don't you? Making clothes and helping everyone look your best? It made you happy so whenever I get too..." _Dark. Emotional. Hateful._ "...angry I would think about the logistics of it. You could start small, doing commissions on your own time until you have enough money for a store... Maybe we could have just built you one in the square... I'd still be your favorite customer right?"

Her giggles are so small and subdued, but he hears it anyway. He would have heard it over the cacophony of battle. "Always."

That makes him smile. _Like an idiot_ , he is sure but he doesn't care. "W-well thinking about that helped calm me. Everything was just a hateful blur sometimes, but I'd think about your kimono store, it makes things better, for a little while. It reminded me I had things worth fighting for..."

 _And my greatest failure wasn't that I couldn't forgive Corrin,_ he realizes, _I failed not because I hated what's front of me, but because I forgot that I love what's behind me._ "I also with I told you that I knew you loved me and that I felt the same." _I wanted to ask you to marry me._

Oboro pulls back. Takumi swears he made a mistake so he lets his arms drop. He feels like a mess. He knows he's never been a pretty crier so he lifts his sleeve to wipe his nose and glances away.

"Lord Takumi-"

"Stop that."

"Takumi then," she corrects herself. "After my parents died, meeting you was the best thing that's ever happened to me, so hearing you say that..." She sobs, "you don't know how happy that makes me."

"Oboro..."

She takes his hands on both of hers and stands. "Let's go find Hinata," she says, "He's… somewhere, waiting for us and then whatever comes next, we... We'll face it together."

He looks up. They both look awful after all that crying, but by the First Dragons, he could see the happiness in her eyes and her smile and _that is all that matters_. He tugs and allows her to pull him to his feet, but he doesn't let go. He doesn't _ever_ want to let go.

"Together," Takumi repeats. He gives her hands a squeeze and with the same pressure on his own, and he feels he is finally at peace.

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 **AN** : Not sorry for that gratuitous mention of Hinata at the end. Ponytail Squad needs to stick together. Title comes from AmaLee's cover of "Anna ni Ishho Datta no ni."


End file.
